Reading Between the Lines
by Spyder Webb
Summary: Ryou + Malik and it's a little hard to explain. Malik and Ryou talk about the upcoming dance, but what are they really saying?


Well, first of all, I wish I could blame this fic on insanity or that I was really tired when I wrote this at 5:00 in the morning. But unfortunately, I've used insanity far too often of an excuse this month and I was wide- awake at 5:00 in the damned morning. -.-  
  
Second, if you don't understand it, I can't blame you. I read it over and I barely make out what the hell I was supposed to be saying. I haven't had any inspiration lately and my muses help, though once the new eps of Yu Gi Oh finally reach YTV maybe it'll help, that's usually what happens.  
  
Third, there are actually two different conversations going on, but please don't get confused with the / words /'s and the // words //'s. The lines do not indicate that they are actually speaking to each other, they indicate what they want to say to the other. If that makes any sense. . .  
  
Another note: Malik is not the yami. Malik is the human mortal.  
  
Here's the fic anyway.  
  
Warnings: Angst  
  
Pairings: Seto/Yugi, Marik/Joey (^_^), Yami/Bakura, Tristan/ Tea, Duke/Malik, Ryou + Malik  
  
/ Ryou /  
  
// Malik //  
  
- - -  
  
Reading Between the Lines  
  
- - -  
  
"Hey Malik!" Ryou grinned at his best friend as he sat down in his desk. There was still a few minutes left before class started and the two usually wasted the time by talking to each other about nothing of importance. However, today was a little different. "Can I talk to you for a second?" Ryou wondered.  
  
/ We really need to talk. /  
  
"Sure." Malik smiled as he closed his textbook. He'd been studying for a math test he had coming up next period. He didn't really need to study though since his mark was about a 97% and the test was going to be easy anyway.  
  
// I know. //  
  
"The others are all going to that Valentine's Day dance, you're still coming too right?" Ryou wondered, "I don't want to be the only one without a date." He shrugged, "Yugi's taking Seto, Joey's taking Marik, Yami's taking Bakura, Tristan's taking Tea. Kinda makes me feel like a third wheel." He smiled shyly, then blinked, "Or eleventh in this case." He shrugged.  
  
/ I love you. /  
  
"Of course I'm still going." Malik shrugged as other students began to file into the room. "I hate the holiday, but there's nothing else to do seeing as how everyone I know and like are going to be there." He said and smiled softly.  
  
// I know. //  
  
"I don't really care for Valentine's Day either. It's probably something that was made up by candy stores." Ryou shrugged and rolled his eyes.  
  
/ Do you love me? /  
  
Malik nodded in agreement, "Them and Hallmark." He said and grinned, causing Ryou to laugh.  
  
// Not in the way you want me to. //  
  
Ryou faltered a bit but quickly recovered, "Are you ready for that math test next period? You said you had needed to study." He asked lightly, shifting through his own books and papers. He was lucky, he had chemistry next and no test until the end of the week.  
  
/ Is there something wrong with me? /  
  
Malik sighed, "Yeah I'm ready for it. I probably didn't need to study for it, but Isis would have been mad at me if I hadn't. Older sisters." He gagged, "You want one? She's free." He grinned, but the grin didn't reach his eyes.  
  
// I love someone else. //  
  
"No thanks, Bakura's protective enough when he's not busy with Yami." Ryou shrugged, suddenly becoming uncomfortable. He decided to change the subject, "Are we still going to meet up before the dance? Yugi said to be at his place at 6:30 and that we'd all walk to the dance together." He shrugged then looked down at the floor, "I think he just doesn't want you or me to feel left out of the fun."  
  
/ I know. /  
  
"Actually, I can't meet up with you." Malik said softly, "I. . .have other plans for the dance. I'm still going to go. . .but I'm going to go with someone else. Sorry." He added quietly, staring down at the pencil on his desk.  
  
// I don't love you. You can't keep pretending. //  
  
"Oh," Ryou looked up, a fake smile on his face, "That's great. That you're going with someone I mean." He tilted his head, "I guess I'm the only one without someone to take." He shrugged casually as he looked up at Malik.  
  
/ I know you don't. And I will, but just for a little while I want to pretend I'm not alone. /  
  
"There'll be someone there without anyone to dance with." Malik insisted, glaring slightly at the boy in front of him. "And it's not like everyone will completely ignore you."  
  
// You act like such a child sometimes. That's probably why you're always alone. //  
  
"You're right." Ryou nodded as he avoided Malik's glare. "So, who are you going with?"  
  
/ Sorry, I won't say anything again. /  
  
"Duke asked me last week." Malik replied, "I didn't want to say anything to you until the dance, but it was probably better to tell you now." He leaned back in his desk.  
  
// Good. I don't want to hear it. //  
  
Ryou cleared his throat; it seemed to be closing on him as the moments passed by them. "Duke? Wow. I hope I'm that lucky one day." He smiled slightly, tilting his head again. White hair fell into his face, covering hurt brown eyes.  
  
"You will be." Malik promised, relaxing again.  
  
There was a long moment of silence before Ryou looked up again, "You know, I completely forgot about a test I have on the fifteenth."  
  
"What class?" Malik wondered.  
  
"Chemistry. It's supposedly really hard." Ryou muttered, "I can't go to the dance, I have to study." He shook his head.  
  
/ I don't like it when I'm not near you. /  
  
"That sucks." Malik sighed, "Teachers shouldn't schedule tests after dances. They should give the kids the time to have fun."  
  
// I won't be here forever. //  
  
"Oh well." Ryou shrugged, grinning again as he opened his book before the bell rang. It was almost time for class to start and the teacher would be arriving soon. "Don't worry about me. Have fun with Duke."  
  
/ I still love you. /  
  
"I will." Malik nodded as a smile crept across his face as he too went back to his books.  
  
// I know. //  
  
- - -  
  
The End  
  
So um, yeah, that was it. Did anyone make sense of it? 


End file.
